THE BIG clean-up is underway after storm force winds and torrential rain battered the region, leaving buildings and vehicles damaged and trees uprooted.

All six local authorities in the region are now preparing to make a start on the clean-up of our streets, roads and green spaces, which will see workers out in force removing fallen branches and debris.

Councils say it is too early to say how much the clean-up will cost, following the severe gales earlier this week, which caused havoc from Flintshire to Anglesey.

Many householders and car owners are also counting the cost after damage was caused to countless roof tiles and vehicles were damaged by flying objects.

They included a trampoline, which smashed into a car in Bala.

A driver was also left shocked and a passenger dislocated a thumb when an 80mph gust blew a bus off the road.

The blast knocked the small Padarn bus onto a dry stone wall on Thursday at about 9.40am.

The S4 Padarn bus, which had three passengers aboard, had been travelling on the A4085 road towards Caernarfon between Beddgelert and Rhyd Ddu.

The gust of wind also propelled the unnamed driver’s side window panel 80 metres into the field at Ffridd Uchaf.

Padarn Bus company managing director David Hulme said: “It was a freak gust of wind.

“It must have been about 80mph. A chap dislocated his thumb and a passerby took that passenger to hospital.”

He added the wind whips in between two hills at the exposed spot, which may explain its strength.

Farmer Phil Hughes, who owns the field, said: “This is the fourth vehicle to go through the wall in six months due to the weather.

“The driver was pretty shaken up.”

On Anglesey, three large windows were blown in at a community centre at Ysgol Gymuned, Llannerch-y-Medd on Monday night.

A council spokesman said: “Pupils are now having to eat their lunch in another part of the school until repairs have been completed.”